Two out of five Republicans likely to participate in Iowa's presidential caucuses say they are inclined to view Islam as an inherently violent religion that inspires brutality by its followers, according to a new Bloomberg Politics/Des Moines Register Iowa Poll.

Twice as many Democrats—along with a majority of Republicans—say they view the world's second largest religion as inherently peaceful, the poll found.

The divisions, coming after the Charlie Hebdo killings in France and and the Islamic State's beheadings of several Western prisoners, may shape the way White House hopefuls from both parties address Islamic militancy, both in terms of fighting threats abroad and balancing freedom of religion and expression with security concerns.